Oil inventories up, demand down, price lower

Benchmark U.S. crude for July delivery was down 38 cents to $103.20 a barrel at 0835 GMT in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Associated Press

5/30/2014

The price of oil drifted down Friday after U.S. crude inventories rose in a possible sign of slack demand.

Benchmark U.S. crude for July delivery was down 38 cents to $103.20 a barrel at 0835 GMT in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added 86 cents to close Thursday at $103.58.

The Energy Department said Thursday that U.S. crude oil inventories rose by 1.7 million barrels during the week ended May 23.

Oil's fall was limited Friday by a higher demand outlook for the summer and a decrease in oil supplies at the Cushing, Oklahoma hub for storage of benchmark crude.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, inched down 10 cents to $109.87 a barrel in London.